Portable check writer and protector



Nov. 20, 1934;

w. MELIN PORTABLE CHECK WRITER AND PROTECTOR Filed Aug. 7, 1931 2 Sheets-She et l INVENTOR ATTORNEY 6 Nov. 20, 1934. w. MELIN PORTABLE CHECK WRITER AND PROTECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m s w my B w R A x EN 5 IHQQK, RAM W a v Q P a .it s 3 Y x m V Q 3. w a, a ma w s w a Patented Nov 20, 1934 PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE CHECK WRITER AND PROTECTOR William Melin, Flint, Mich.

Application August 7, 1931, Serial No. 555,791

11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in portable check writers and protectors, being an improvement on. such structures as that illustrated in United States Letters Patent No. 1,201,235, issued October 1'7, 1916, to William W. Arnold.

The objects of the invention are:

First, to provide in such a check writer, an improved platen and printing means operated by compound leverage from. the handle.

Second, to provide an improved positive paper feed.

Third, to provide an improved ratchet means for the paper feed.

Fourth, to provide an improved paper release means.

Fifth, to provide an improved inking me for such a structure.

Sixth, to provide an improved adjustable check or paper guide.

Seventh, to provide an identifying means for the particular individual check writer instrument.

Eighth, to provide in conjunction with the check writer a protector perforator means for the name of the payee or other writing.

Further objects and objects relating to details will appear from the description to follow. A preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation view of my improved check writer.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure as seen in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the printing mechanism which might be said to be retained in what corresponds to the cover part, taken on line corresponding to section line 3-3 of Figs. 5 and 6. V

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the main frame part carrying the printing wheel and platen, taken on a plane corresponding to section line 4-4 of Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail transverse sectional elevation view through the printing part taken on line corresponding to line 5-5 of Figs. 1, 2, 3, .4 and. 6.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view on line 6-6 of Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail transverse sectional elevation view on line 7-7 of Figs. 3 and 6 of the ratchet feed means.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail sectional view on line 8-8 of Figs. 1, and 3.

Fig. 9 is a detail section on line 9-9 of Fig. 6.

handle 2 preferably formed integral therewith.

This carries the inking roll 3 and the pivoted platen bar 4. 5 is the cover plate. 6 is the pivoted handle, carried on the pivot '7 die cast in the head 5. 8 is the printing wheel with suitably elongated, corrugated characters on its periphery. 9 is the axle of the wheel 8, die cast in place on said wheel, and bearing in boss 10 on the head 1 and also journalled in boss 11 on the cover head 5, '(see Fig. 5). The shaft 9 is provided with twirler 91 which extends beyond the side of the case for manipulating said wheel. On the face of the type wheel 8 is a series of depressions 81. These are acted upon by the spring pressed ball 82 (see Fig. 8) to definitely locate the wheel in successive printing positions and to hold the same yieldingly against the shoulder of the boss 10 to keep the same in effective alignment. The ball 82 is in socket 84 and is spring pressed by spring 83. Socket 84 is on the cover plate 5. Characters are indicated on the wheel and are exposed at window 12 on the same, being manipulated by the twirler 91 to bring the same to printing position.

The platen bar 4 carriesthe platen face 41 which is made of brass and corrugated longitudinally to cooperate with the corrugated type of the type wheel. The platen bar 4 is pivoted to the die cast lug 42 and is provided with a V- shaped bend 43 embracing a beveled or knifeedge on the lug 42. A blade spring 13 embracing a die cast bearing pin 131 on the head 1 extends obliquely downwardly embracing the projecting end 43 of the platen bar 4, forcing it against the bearing lug 42 and thereby returning the platen from printing position. The spring 13 is disposed along near the bottom side of the case head 1 and terminates in an eye 132 which is disposed under the platen 4.

A rod lever 14 is fulcrumed in notch 141 at the forward end of the casing head 1 and is disposed longitudinally of the head 1 towards the bottom thereof through perforation 133 in the spring 13. The rear end of the lever 14 is bent at'right angles at 142 forming a pivot and enters perforation 62 in the lever arm 61 of the handle 6 (see Fig. 3).

The ink wheel 3 is provided with a supporting disk 31 on which the ink wheel is pivoted which is supported by a bearing at the center. 32 is the pivot screw for the supporting disk 31. A spring 33 is connected to the disk by hook 34 and to a lug 35 die cast on the head 1. The spring 33 holds the ink wheel yieldingly in contact with the type wheel to ink the same. 36 is a lid (see Figs. 2 and 4) formed in the top of the head 1, the same being pivoted on the shank of the knurled clamp screw37 which retains the same in place. This lid 36 affords access to the inking wheel for recharging the same and to permit inspection of the same.

The paper feed comprises the roll 15 on the fixed shaft 16 supported in the head 5 in bearing bosses 161, 162. This roll 17 (see Fig. 3) is provided with a corrugated perforating head 171 for protecting the name of the payee or other writing on the check and is provided with a corrugated head 172 which is provided with corrugated projections for cutting numbers or other characters for the identification of the individual check writer or to cut characters indicating the name of the firm using the check writer, or other identification or legend as desired. The roll on the fixed shaft 16 cooperates with the yielding ,feed roll 17. This roll 17 is provided with a head 171 to correspond with head 151' and with head 172 to correspond with head 152, the heads 171 and 172 being provided with peripheral cor,- rugat'ions to cooperate with the perforating projections on the said roll heads 151, 152 of roll 15.

The yielding roll 17 is carried on pivoted shaft 18, the flattened and enlarged rear end 181 of which is pivoted between lugs 19 on the case 5. The forward end ofthe shaft 18 is provided with a reduced shouldered pintle 182. The front end of this shaft 18 is supported by the pivoted lever 20 carried on fulcrum 201 on the head 5, the same being urged yieldingly in position by the spring 202 connected to the case head 5 on the die cast lug 203. The lever 20 is provided with an upturned bearing ear 204 at its forward end to receive the pintle 182 at the front end of the shaft 18. I

- It will thus be seen that this shaft is swung yieldingly down by the action of the spring 202. The coiled spring 183 engages the enlargement 181 on the rear end of the shaft 18, embracing the said shaft 18, and presses against the rear end of the yielding roll 17, thereby holding the same in position against the bearing lug 204. This provides a very quick and convenient assembly for the parts.

The lever 20 is manipulated by the push button 21 which plays freely through an aperture 211 in the head 5 and is provided with a shank 212 having a right hand end pivot portion 213 extending through the end of the lever 20. This projecting pivot is engaged by the spring 202 which effectively retains the parts in assembled relation, taking the slack out of the connection and holding the lever 20 yieldingly in position to force the roll 17 into active yielding engagement with the driven feed roll 15. The yielding roll 17 is thus readily separated from the driven roll by pressing on the button 21.

The driven roll 15 is actuated by a ratchet means. The face of the head 152 is provided with face ratchet teeth 153. 22 is the pawl to drive roll 15 having a hub 221 which embraces and is,

joumalled on the shaft 16 (see Fig. 7). The

pawl 22 has a beveled face and it acted upon by acts not only by torsion to return the pawl, but by compression to force the pawl and roll forward. When the pawl is actuated by the upward movement of the end of the lever arm 61, it operates the feed roll 15 one step. When the end of arm 61 passes on to the beveled end of the pawl 22, it maintains the same in fixed position during the printing'op eration, which printing is accomplished by the actuation of the same lever arm 61. When the pressure is released, the spring 13 returns the handle to initial position and the recoil of the spring 222 returns the pawl, sliding it backward over the ratchet teeth 153, the spring 222 yielding longitudinally sufiiciently for this purpose. The feed rolls 15 and 17, being in engagement with each other and being spring pressed, are held by friction so that the backward movement of the pawl-22 is effectively accomplished to feed the next step.

The heads 1 and 5.are'correspondingly slotted at 23 to receive a check to be written. The yielding feed roll is raised by pressure on the button 21 to permit the introduction of the paper. .Of course the paper could be manipulated by careful inspection. It is altogether best to provide a stop 24 (see Fig. 6) which reaches across the check protector with a guiding p ojection 241 and an enlargement 242 to engage the check and guide the same. Projecting clamp lugs 243 are on the opposite end between which is a screw shank 244. A screw threaded nut 245 embraces the screw threaded shank 244 to clamp the same on the opposite side of the screw shank embrace the walls of the cover at the sides of the slot.

The cover heads 1 and 5 are held together by screws. Screw 25 (see Figs. 3, 4 and 6) extends through boss 131 and is screw threaded into boss 7. Screws 26, 26 and 26-extend through the body 1 and are screw threaded into the cover 5 as shown and indicated in Fig. 3. The heads of the screws are all on the face of the casing head 1, making the structure very convenient to assemble and disassemble.

The parts having been thusv described, I will indicate briefly the operation of my improved check writer and protector. The operator, grasping the handles 2 and 6, pushes down on the push button 21, inserts the check into the slot 23 against the stop 24, setting the check longitudinally to the printing position. Releasing the push button 21, he then manipulates the twirler 91 to bring the proper character to view at the window 12, then compresses the handle 6. rocking it on its pivot 7 and thereby raising the end of platen 4 against the under side of the check, forcing the same against the type wheel. The pressure on the handle is then released, the next character is set, and the operation repeated until the check is fully written. The check, with the platen released, is then withdrawn lengthwise from the check writer with the perforating rolls in contact, which causes the rotation of the same which results in the continuance of the perforations in the check; and the complete perforating of the special characters on the roll head 152, and perforates the payees name by the action of the points of the roll head 151, thus completing the operation.

I have described my improved check writer precisely as I have-designed it because of the advantages of the particular details of the construction. I desire to claim these particular details in combination and specifically, and I also desire to claim the invention broadly, as pointed out in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a check writer and perforator, the combination of a main handle and head piece, a cover head piece secured thereto, the said parts being slotted to receive a check, a type wheel having means for operating the same to printing position, a flat platen bar having a platen formed thereon to cooperate with said type wheel, the said bar being bent at an angle towards one end to form a V-pivot notch, a cooperating A-shaped lug on the main head, pivot bosses between the rear portions of said heads, a blade spring curved to embrace the said pivot boss on the said head piece and contact with the outer free end of the platen bar to return the same by spring action, the spring being turned into an eye to contact with the underside of said platen, a pivoted handle having a printing lever carried on said pivot boss on said head and projecting forwardly into the cover head member, and a cooperating lever longitudinally disposed through a perforation in said blade spring, fulcrumed at the front end of said main head, turned laterally into a pivot and pivoted in the forwardly projecting lever arm of the pivoted handle, cooperating to actuate the said platen and force it against the printing wheel, whereby the spring withdraws the platen from the printing position and thereby returns the handle to initial position.

2. In a check writer and perforator, the combination of a main handle and head piece, a cover head piece secured thereto, the said parts being slotted to receive a check, a type wheel having means for operating the same to printing position, a flat platen bar having a platen formed thereon to cooperate with said type wheel, the said bar being bent at an angle towards one end to form a V-pivot notch, a cooperating A-shaped lug on the main head, pivot bosses between the rear portions of said heads, a blade spring curved to embrace the said pivot boss on the said head piece and contact with the outer free end of the platen bar to return the same by spring action and a pivoted handle on the pivot boss'on said head with connections to actuate said platen bar.

3. In a check writer and perforator, the combination of a main handle and head piece, a cover head piece secured thereto, the said parts being slotted to receive a check, a type wheel having means for operating the same to printing position, a fiat platen bar having a platen formed thereon to cooperate with said type wheel, the said bar being bent at an angle towards one end to form a V-pivot notch, a cooperating A-shaped lug on the main head, pivot bosses between the rear of said headpiece and said cover, a blade spring curved to embrace the said pivot boss on the said headpiece, the spring being turned into an eye to contact with the underside of said platen, a pivoted handle having a printing lever carried on said pivot boss on said head and projecting forwardly into the cover head member, and a cooperating lever longitudinally disposed through a perforation in said blade spring and fulcrumed at the front end of said main head, turned laterally into a pivot and pivoted in the forwardly projecting lever arm of the pivoted handle, cooperating said bar being bent at an angle towards one end to form a V-pivot notch, a cooperating A-shaped lug on the main head, pivot bosses between the rear of said head piece and said cover, a blade spring curved to embrace the said pivot boss on the said head piece, the spring being turned into an eye to contact with the under side of said platen, a pivoted handle having a printing lever projecting forwardly into the cover head member, and a cooperating lever longitudinally disposed through a perforation in said blade spring and fulcrumed at the front end ofsaid main head, turned laterally into a pivot and pivoted in the forwardly projecting lever arm of the pivoted handle, and cooperating to actuate the said platen and force it against the printing wheel.

5. In a check writer and protector, the combination of a main head having a handle ,flxed thereon, a cover head having a pivoted handle therein, a printing wheel having inking means, a platen cooperating with said printing wheel, an active feed roll on a fixed longitudinal shaft disposed in said cover, cooperating yielding feed rolls, a shaft having a flattened and enlarged end fulcrumed in the rear end of said cover section and with a shoulder and pintle at its front end supporting said yielding feed rolls, a spring disposed on the said shaft engaging the said enlarged end of said shaft and reacting against the said yielding feed rolls, a control lever pivoted in said cover having an end ear embracing the said shoulder and pintle end of said shaft, a push button having a cross shank and cross pivot pin coupled to said lever, and a tension spring extending from the said pivot to 9. lug on the said case whereby the said separable feed rolls are held yieldingly in position.

6. In a check writer and protector, the combination of a main head having a handle fixed thereon, a cover head having a pivoted handle therein, a printing wheel having inking means, a platen cooperating with said printing wheel, an active feed roll on a fixed'longitudinal shaft disposed in said cover plate provided with heads, one having pointed projections and the other having indicator projections thereon, a cooperating yielding feed roll having peripheral corrugations corresponding to the projections on said active feed roll, said active feed roll having distinguishing character marks for the identification of the particular check writer employed, and means to actuate the same.

'7. In a check writer and protector, the combination of a main head having a handle fixed thereon, a cover head having a pivoted handle therein, a printing wheel having inking means, a platen cooperating with said printing wheel, separable feed rolls cooperating with said printing means, one of which is a driven roll, a shaft for supporting said driven roll,.ratchet teeth on the face of said driven roll, an actuating pawl having a beveled face having a hub pivoted on the said shaft adapted to cooperate with the said ratchet teeth, a compression coiled spring on the said shaft engaged in said pawl to return ittooperatingpositionandaluzensliinlthem said spring to prevent rotation of said spring bodily, and a pivoted handle having a projecting actuating arm disposed to project by and engage the said pawl, whereby the operation of the said handle actuates the pawl and maintains the feed roll at rest during the printing operation. I a

8. In a check writer and protector, the combination of separable feed rolls, one of which is a driven roll, a shaft for supporting said driven roll, ratchet teeth on the face of said driven roll, an actuating pawl having a beveled face having a hub pivoted on the said shaft adapted to cooperate with the said ratchet teeth, a compression coiled spring on the said shaft engaged in said pawl to return it to operating position and a lug engaging said spring to prevent rotation thereof, and a pivoted handle having a projecting actuating arm disposed to pass by and engage the said pawl in passing, whereby the operation of the said handle actuates the pawl and on further movement maintains the feed roll at rest during the, printing operation.

9. In a check writer and protector, the combination of separable feed rolls, one of which is a driven roll, a shaft for supporting said driven roll, ratchet teeth on the face of said driven roll, an actuating pawl having a beveled face and having a hub pivoted on the said shaft and being adapted to slide on said shaft'to cooperate with the said ratchet teeth, a coiled spring on the said shaft engaging said pawl and so arranged relative thereto that a pivotal movement of the pawl places said spring in torsion and the sliding movement places said spring in compression whereby said spring operates to return said pawl to initial position after an operation of the device to advance a check therein and a lug enan actuated spring fulcrumed upon the opposed boss in said head having connections therefrom to said lever for returning the said handle.

11. In a check writer and protector, the combination of a suitable head and cover containing a printing wheel and cooperating platen and paper feed mechanism, each member having a longitudinal slot for receiving a check, a check guide stop secured to the head and adjustable in said slot having projecting shoulders within the body of the check writer and on each side of the walls of said head and having a projecting notched screw shank, and a clamping nut on said shank for retaining the same in place. 

